Zaha is ready for United's first team... he won't be re-joining Palace, admits Holloway

Crystal Palace boss Ian Holloway has ruled out a loan move for Wilfried Zaha, saying the winger is ready for the Manchester United first team.

England man Zaha, who played a pivotal role in leading Holloway’s Palace to promotion from the Championship last season, agreed to join United in January in a deal thought to be worth around £15million.

He links up for the first time for training with the Old Trafford side on Monday.

No return: Zaha made a major contribution towards promotion for Palace but will not return this coming season

Holloway told talkSPORT: ‘Let’s be perfectly honest, I think the boy is so exciting he’s going to have a chance at Man United and I can see him getting in their first team and I genuinely mean that.’

There has been speculation that United – who allowed Zaha to remain at Selhurst Park until the end of last season – may look to give the winger further experience by allowing him to leave on loan to a Barclays Premier League side.

It had led some Palace fans to get excited about the possibility of Zaha rejoining the Eagles and bolster their push to avoid the drop in their first season back in the Premier League since 2005.

But Holloway has played down the hopes of Palace supporters, saying: ‘I don’t think that deal should even be in their dreams. I think he fulfilled their dreams a month ago.

Praise: Holloway feels Zaha is more than capable of establishing a place in the first team

‘I wish him all the best in his Manchester United career and well done to them for buying him. Sir Alex Ferguson very rarely gets them wrong and David Moyes will be delighted he’s found that talent in his midst because he can win games at the very, very top level.’

‘I don’t think for one minute I’d even consider asking David Moyes right now. I don’t think it’s fair to the boy. He’s got to have a go at Man United.

‘I’m sure I know Moyes that well that if there was a club in the Premier League that Wilfried Zaha wanted to play for, if it wasn’t Manchester United, I’m sure it would be us, so I’m sure the phone would ring.’

Zaha, who was Sir Alex Ferguson’s final signing for Manchester United before the Scot announced his retirement in May, is also understood to want to remain at Old Trafford and play at the highest level this season.

Highly rated: Zaha moved to United in a deal thought to be worth around £15million

Last season putting in a series of mesmerising performances in the Championship and scored eight goals as he guided Palace to promotion.

It is believed that United moved for Zaha on the direct recommendation of Sir Alex’s son, Darren Ferguson, who was blown away after a scintillating performance from the winger against his Peterborough side last year.

Zaha, who featured for England at the European Under 21 Championship in Israel, demonstrated his big-match prowess by scoring twice in the play-off semi-final against Brighton, before winning the penalty in the play-off final against Watford that allowed Kevin Phillips to fire Palace to promotion.